Difference between Spring MVC and Spring Boot (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 4 Apr, 2026

Spring MVC and Spring Boot are key parts of the Spring ecosystem used for developing Java-based web applications. They help developers build structured and efficient applications, but differ in terms of configuration, setup, and ease of development.

• Enables development of web applications using the MVC architecture
• Simplifies application setup and reduces boilerplate code
• Supports faster development and deployment of Java applications

Spring MVC

Spring MVC is a web framework module of the Spring Framework that helps in building web applications following the Model-View-Controller pattern. It provides full control over application architecture and is highly flexible.

• **Model-View-Controller (MVC) Pattern: Separates application logic, UI, and request handling.
• **Flexible Configuration: Supports XML, annotations, and Java-based configuration.
• **Integration: Works with Spring modules like Spring Security, Spring Data, and Hibernate.

**Example: Spring MVC Web Application:

Java `

@Configuration @ComponentScan(basePackages = "com.example") @EnableWebMvc public class WebConfig { // Define beans and view resolvers }

@Controller @RequestMapping("/users") public class UserController { @Autowired private UserService userService;

@GetMapping
public String getUsers(Model model) {
    model.addAttribute("users", userService.getAllUsers());
    return "userList"; // JSP or HTML view
}

}

// Main class deployed as WAR on external server public class GFG {

public static void main(String[] args){
    
    // Deploy this app manually to an external server like Tomcat
}

}

`

**Explanation: This is a Spring MVC app with manual configuration using @EnableWebMvc, handling requests via a controller and returning a view, deployed on an external server like Tomcat.

Spring Boot

Spring Boot is a framework built on top of Spring that simplifies application development by providing auto-configuration, embedded servers, and production-ready features. It reduces boilerplate code and allows developers to get applications running quickly.

• **Auto-Configuration: Automatically configures Spring applications based on included dependencies.
• **Embedded Servers: Comes with embedded Tomcat, Jetty, or Undertow; no external server needed.
• **Starter POMs: Ready-made dependency bundles for common functionalities.

**Example: Spring Boot REST API:

Java `

@SpringBootApplication public class UserApplication{

public static void main(String[] args){
    
    // Embedded Tomcat runs automatically
    SpringApplication.run(UserApplication.class, args); 
}

}

@RestController @RequestMapping("/api/users") public class UserController{

private List<String> users = List.of("Alice", "Bob", "Charlie");

@GetMapping
public List<String> getUsers(){
    
    // Returns JSON response
    return users; 
}

}

`

**Explanation: This is a Spring Boot application that uses auto-configuration and an embedded server, so it runs directly without manual deployment. It defines a REST controller that handles requests and returns user data in JSON format.

Spring MVC vs Spring Boot